Ventilating exhaust fans, such as those typically installed in bathrooms, draw air from within an area and pass the exhausted air out to another location, such as through a vent in the roof of a home or other structure. Many typical exhaust fans currently in use include a housing positioned within a building structure, such as in an aperture or other structure in a wall or ceiling.
Centrifugal exhaust fans typically include a main housing, a rotating fan wheel and motor assembly. The fan wheel can usually include a plurality of vanes that create an outward airflow during rotation, which, in turn, is directed out of an outlet opening. The fan wheel is typically coupled to a motor supported within the fan housing, and the motor drives the fan wheel, thus providing ventilation to an area. In order to meet performance demands, most modern ventilating exhaust fans are still relatively bulky, either due to the physical size of the motor, the fan wheel, or both.